Existing self-climbing systems, such as those disclosed in Australian Patent No. 490759, and our co-pending Australian Patent Application No. 18541/88, have limitations with regards to the flexibility of the systems.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a system which is self-climbing and after the initial assembly requires no external cranage for lifting from one level to another. The system preferably carries with it all formwork components, safety decks, work platforms and perimeter safety screening, that is, all that is necessary for the safe working of personnel in and about the apparatus at all times to the completion of the structure. Upon building completion the system becomes redundant and is dismantled by external means.
A further object of the invention is to provide a system which is capable of constructing structures of any size, shape or height; and although primarily concern with the construction of vertical walls, can have the versatility to construct the following groups of concrete elements.
(a) Perimeter walls, beams and columns, together with internal columns, beams, shear walls and all central core walls concurrently
(b) Half the relevant building elements cast by the system at one level, and the other half at one level advanced in a construction, conveniently split to suit the geometry and/or construction of the building.
(c) Perimeter walls, beams and columns only.
(d) Perimeter walls, beams and columns together with internal columns and beams and shear walls only. In this case the central core walls could be constructed ahead of the main floor areas by employing a conventional slip or jump form system.
(e) Perimeter walls, beams and columns at one level and the central core walls at an advanced level in a split system.
(f) All central core walls only.
None of the existing self-climbing systems, including those of the patent and patent application referred to previously, can achieve such versatility of operation which are the objectives of the present invention.
Since the introduction of central core climbing systems (slip or jump form systems the subject of the aforementioned Patent and Patent applications), and the introduction of fast cycle table-form systems for horizontal elements such as floor slabs, the construction of the perimeter of a building has been critical to floor to floor cycle times in the construction of multi-storey buildings. This is due largely to site crane dependence, the concentration of elements around the perimeter, and the safety requirements for personnel around the edge of the building in the formation of the perimeter.
The preferred object of the present invention is to speed up the construction of perimeter, and like elements, in the construction of multi-storey buildings.